This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Community recycling
09/03/2005
Community projects recycling and reducing waste will
share in a £5 million funding package announced today.
A further £1 million over two years is to be provided to
the Community Recycling Network for Scotland (CRNS) which
supports groups involved in waste reduction, recycling and
education and awareness.
CRNS is also to receive £100,000 to support a community
composting officer and recycling initiatives within
minority ethnic communities.
Speaking before a meeting of the European Community
Recycling Network in Edinburgh, Environment Minister Ross
Finnie said:
"In the week that we launched the UK Framework on
Sustainable Development we have reaffirmed our commitment
to making more efficient use of the earth's resources. This
investment underlines that commitment.
"The community sector plays a significant role in
reducing, reusing and recycling waste and raising
awareness.
"Many community recycling groups provide employment and
training opportunities for disadvantaged people and provide
refurbished goods helping us in our drive to create a safer
and more equitable society."
Projects already receiving Executive funding for
community recycling initiatives:
Edinburgh Furniture Initiative (EFI) -
This project aims to divert waste from landfill by re-using
furniture and white goods and providing such goods to
people on low income. It also aims to raise awareness
amongst both the public and business of furniture re-use.
EFI has employed 15 people (full or part-time), has 40
volunteers and five trainees. Contact: Kevin O'Shaughnessy
0131-555-5900
Coach House Trust, Glasgow - This project,
in the West End of Glasgow, carries out a wide range of
work: community composting; waste wood recycling;
small-scale vermiculture (use of worms to break down
waste); demonstration projects on the uses of recycled
materials; and education and awareness of waste issues
(closely linked to the Eco-Schools initiative and to the
Waste Aware Glasgow campaign). Through its work on waste,
the project provides employment and training for people
suffering mental health problems or drug and alcohol abuse.
It also provides volunteering opportunities for other
members of the community. The Trust has employed 31 people
(full or part time), has 15 volunteers and 55 trainees.
Contact: David Cruickshank 0141-334-6888
Grangemouth Enterprises - A project in the
Falkirk area to recycle IT equipment and a project in the
Falkirk area to recycle white goods. Grangemouth
Enterprises has employed 21 people (full or part time), has
threevolunteers and 12 trainees. Contact: Alexander Preston
01324-474409
Moray Waste Busters run a composting and
vermiculture (worms) project. The key aim of the project is
to collect kitchen waste from 350 households in Forres,
feed the waste to worms and produce a high quality compost.
Moray Waste Busters has employed 6 people (full or part
time), has 6 volunteers and 4 trainees Contact: David Munro
01309-676056
GRAB Trust, Argyll and Bute - This project
raises public awareness of waste management issues in
Argyll and Bute; provides a waste and recycling education
resource to schools, community groups and the public;
promotes community recycling initiatives in Argyll and
Bute; promotes Argyll and Bute Council's own recycling
services and promotes litter campaigns. The Trust has
employed 5 people (full or part time) and has 150
volunteers. Contact: Matt Lewis 01546-600165
The community recycling sector in Scotland supports 400
full or part time employees, over 10,000 volunteers and
nearly 100 trainees.
£5 million funding is currently being made available
through the 'INCREASE Programme' for community sector waste
initiatives over two years (2004-05, 2005-06).
The INCREASE Programme was launched in November 2004
with a series of regional roadshows.
The resources being announced today consist of a further
£5 million over two years (2006-07, 2007-08) for community
sector waste initiatives; £1 million over two years
(2006-07, 2007-08) to support the Community Recycling
Network for Scotland (CRNS) itself and £100,000 for CRNS in
2005/06 to employ a community composting officer and
support recycling initiatives within minority ethnic
communities.
The Executive's National Waste Plan, published in
February 2003, lays down a number of targets to improve
Scotland's record on sustainable waste management. These
include a target for local authorities to recycle or
compost 25 per cent of their waste by 2006.